Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts that Give Back

It’s that time of year again, endless sales pitches clog your inbox and hoards of crowds flock to shopping malls. While the spirit of Christmas has nothing to do with commercialism, it starts to seem that way after awhile. However, I hope these gift ideas will inspire you to give gifts this year that give back!

TOMS

No longer just a shoe company, TOMS has expanded their One for One model across sunglasses, apparel, bags and coffee. For every item you buy, they will donate shoes and provide eye exams, access to clean water and kits to assist with safe births. Outside of all the good they do, their shoes are super cute and come in a variety of styles!

Love Your Melon

I’ve written aboutLove Your Melon before, but I just love their company! 50% of their profit is donated to childhood cancer research and they give beanies to kids who’ve lost their hair from cancer. To date, they’ve given over $3.8 million!! Not to mention, their beanies are extremely well-made and are my go-to winter hat. They also sell other apparel items and blankets, in addition to their signature beanie.

The Giving Keys

The giving behind The Giving Keys is twofold: when you wear your key and come across someone who needs your word more than you do, you’re supposed to pass the key on. But by purchasing a key, you’re also supporting job creation for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

The Elephant Pants

I’m always about comfy pants and if they help one of our earth’s most majestic creatures? Sign me up. The Elephant Pants began as harem pants and have quickly expanded to various apparel items, all available in a variety of patterns and colors. They donate a portion of their proceeds to wildlife conservation organizations that promote the preservation of elephants.

White Flag

One of my college sorority sisters started this faith-based home decor company. Each flag is a simple message meant to spark conversation or simply remind you to meditate on that spiritual truth. 10% of the profits are donated to one of their partner organizations, of which you get to choose.

Patagonia

You probably know about Patagonia, but did you know they are a socially responsible company? Their materials are sourced from ethical locations and they work hard to track their entire supply chain to ensure that they are leaving the lowest impact on the environment as they can. Outside of that, they do a lot of environmental advocacy and work with other businesses to decrease their carbon footprints.

Strings for Hope

This Nashville-based nonprofit recycles guitar strings to create jewelry. These bracelets are crafted by women in transitional housing who are additionally supported through life skills lessons and therapy. Perfect for any music-lover on your list!

Bombas

Who doesn’t love fun socks? Bombas literally has hundreds of styles of socks and each purchase supports the homeless community. Socks are the #1 requested item from homeless shelters. For every pair of socks you buy, a pair are donated to individuals in need – over 5 million pairs donated already! Additionally, the pair of socks they donate are specially engineered to last longer and be more effective for the population who needs them.

S’well

Not only are these water bottles functional and high-quality, they are super cute! They keep your drinks cold or hot due to its innovative design. Besides just being a cute functional gift, the CEO has committed $800,000 since 2015 to UNICEF to work towards clean water for all in developing nations.

FashionABLE

FashionABLE sells a variety of accessories, each handcrafted by women who have overcome great obstacles. Instead of donating money to a partner organization, their entire business model focuses on ending poverty and empowering women with dignified jobs. They describe themselves best: “ABLE is a lifestyle brand focused on ending generational poverty by working with women who have often overcome extraordinary circumstances. We manufacture directly in the communities we wish to impact, both locally and globally, creating jobs and ending the cycle of charity dependency.”